Multi-million civil judgment in ATV death

May 25, 2018News Extra

The father of a 16-year-old Chicora boy killed in 2015 in an alcohol-fueled ATV accident says he hopes a multi-million-dollar civil judgment against the man accused of providing the alcohol serves as “a lesson” to other adults.

Charles Buck, the father of Briggs Buck, who was killed the night of Feb. 27, 2015, said the $5.923 million judgment entered Thursday against Steven Rider Jr., 35, formerly of Parker Township, was “symbolic” for him and Briggs' mother, Kimberly.

“We will never see a dime of this,” said Charles Buck. “And it's never, ever been about the money. It's more a punishment that we wanted to continue and try to get more justice.”

Butler County Court of Common Pleas Judge Marilyn Horan on Thursday ordered Rider — who pleaded guilty Jan. 19, 2017 to two counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of corruption of minors stemming from Briggs' death — to pay the Buck family nearly $3 million in lost wages, $2.5 million in “punitive damages” and nearly $1 million in other assorted damages.

Rider, who was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of children in addition to the charges to which he pleaded guilty, was sentenced Feb. 22, 2017 to 2 1/2 to 8 years in prison.

Charles Buck, who called his son “a great kid” who is still remembered as a generous friend who transcended social cliques, said he wants the civil judgment to “haunt” Rider “for the rest of his life.”

“At least this will be held over his head,” Buck said. “I hope the guy can never even get a Sheetz card.”

A full story will appear in the Butler Eagle.

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Phillip Rau

Phillip Rau graduated from Allegheny College in 2006 with a degree in English and Political Science, and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2009. He served as the editor of literary journals at Allegheny and Pitt.
He worked as a reporter and news editor in Greenville, Pa., from 2008 to June of 2015, when he joined The Butler Eagle as an editorial writer and staff writer. In 2017 Phillip became the City Editor for the Butler Eagle.